Some of the Pacific’s leaders face big challenges this year, as the climate crisis, corruption allegations and regional loyalties clash. In the second of a two-part series, RNZ Pacific’s Jamie Tahana and Johnny Blades look at some of the region’s bigger players and the tensions looming in 2020.

As a new decade dawns much of the Pacific is grappling with major upheavals from climate and health crises to political disruption and self-determination struggles. In a two part series, RNZ Pacific’s Jamie Tahana and Johnny Blades look at the state of play across the region’s countries and territories and what’s on the cards for 2020. This is the first part.